Best of Both Worlds
by tennasonce
Summary: A wish has to be carried out word for word, but mere human can't be forever, can he...?
1. Prelude to Pandemonium

**Clink.**

Keiichi Morisato, assistant at Whirlwind Motorcycles, partial-student of Nekomi Technical Institute, heaved a little in his seat. A revision lecture in the afternoon wasn't his thing.

**Clink.**

_Now what? That was a good dream, too…_

**Clink.**

_If I open my eyes slightly, I should be able to get back to sleep later…_

"Morisato-kun? Get up."

Keiichi turned skywards and swung up his hands in an attempt to stretch the fatigued-laden muscles, to a dull thud and a tinkering sound of shatter glass.

"You…broke…them…again."

Professor Owaza, Teacher of Nekomi Technical Institution, loyal patron of the spectacle store down the road, took off the frame of his glasses and sighed.

"Gomen-nasai, Owaza-san, Gomen-nasai! It's just…it's a warm, humid day, the lecture was bori-"

Keiichi blinked once. And then again. _Wait. A lecture…Did I just say…! Oh no. I'm dead, I'm a goner, I'm a-_

"Morisato-kun, I can forgive for once."

_Eh? _"You…agree?"

"Yes. But if you fail the upcoming test…"

Keiichi looked at his teacher and sighed, before turning back to his book, attempting to absorb as much as possible while the rest of the class wandered out into the summer heat. Sleeping through a lecture wasn't going to be easy to make up for.

xxxxxx

Peorth punched a button and pulled up a window. _Something's wrong. The ultimate force is being tempered with._ "Authorization Code 9215, Goddess Peorth. Link me!" A second window pulled up close.

PASSWORD.

_Hmmm._

PASSWORD ACCEPTED.

_Let's see. The program code…Oh. Gosh. I'll have to shut this down for now. Kami-sama would understand._

Peorth flicked the button with measured ease.

xxxxxx

Keiichi slumped back home. _Bed…Bed…Water…Belldandy…Bell-um. Cut that sick thought. _He wondered what Belldandy was doing now. At least she didn't have to return during the weekends for make-up lectures. _It's not like I'll ever add n to 4ac and subtract p over q, anyway._

"MORISATO-KUN!"

Keiichi sighed. This was going to be a long, long day.

xxxxxx

Mara rebooted her laptop, and erased all source files. No chances on being accused, after all. Mara had her own pride with a Yggdrasil wire-tap.

xxxxxx

As a quick reality check, we see that Belldandy is not, in fact, doing what Keiichi's hyperactive imagination has dreamt up. Sitting at the table knitting has nothing to do with a bathroom.

_Keiichi-san…I wonder if you're fine…_

Having the ultimate force down on yet another server-malfunction sure was bothersome.

xxxxxx

Keiichi hummed a joyful tune as he twisted the bolt _there_ and put the camshaft _here_ and replaced the front bearings _there_. At least Chihiro wasn't being too demanding.

_Belldandy…I wonder if you're fine…_

A little speculation wouldn't be damned, right?

xxxxxx

Belldandy sighed slowly. She felt calm when Keiichi was around. Even more so, as the days wore by. Urd was still up in heaven on the Yggdrasil's repairs, while Skuld just seem to run about a lot, hence nobody else tended to keep her company much during the day.. Except Keiichi. His words seemed to soothe her aching heart. She'd never experienced such an emotion before. _Maybe I'm ill? My heart beats so quickly, sometimes, especially when Keiichi's around…oh no! Does Keiichi have a contagious sickness? I-I must cure him!_

She turned to ponder over this.

_Keiichi-san…when you are happy, I…I feel at rest, too._

Does chocolate cure it? 

_When you are suffering, I hurt, too._

_Guess not. Should I ask Onee-sama?_

_When you are…_

xxxxx

Keiichi screwed in the last bits of the bike. Chihiro would be pleased.

Unknown to all, Mara scowled from up above. Some people just get too happy for her liking. Senbei wasn't being co-operative lately, too. _But it's fine. Keiichi Morisato…You'll suffer soon._

xxxxxx

_I feel a chill. A sense of…foreboding? Keiichi-san…_

The goddess shut her eyes and sent out a quick aura-wave to search. The brilliance, beyond human-comprehension, blazed its way past the area, giving Belldandy a quick scan of the people. _…Keiichi! Keiichi! _

She got out a small mirror, and let herself fall into its abysmal depths.

xxxxx

Peorth scowled. She had found the bug, now it was time for the others to take care of it. She wanted a break. She needed a break.

She would get her break. Maybe Keiichi-san would be more open this time. A single rose blossomed as she slid into a dream-like state.

_Though…Belldandy's too nice. Shouldn't get between that perfect couple. Help get them together…?_

A little snapping noise sounded out as Peorth face-faulted, breaking the flower in her hand. Joining forces with Urd wasn't pleasing, somehow.

_I'll see if I can go down, anyway._

_xxxxxx_

Somewhere else in heaven, Urd felt her eyelids twitch. She put it down to the bad climate-control systems.

_A bit more and I'll finish the procedure. Keiichi could have made an advance by now. I refuse to miss such a thing…_

xxxxxx

Mara reached out slowly. _Keiichi Morisato…Taste the power of a first class demon! Kyahahahahahahha!_

It's funny, the way some people, or demons, can do an evil laugh in their thoughts.

Keiichi looked up, and saw only the globe of dark-energy spinning towards him before the fireworks rang out in his head.

xxxxxx

Belldandy let herself flow through the dimensions within the mirrors, tapping into a universal collection of knowledge to do with a certain smooth, shiny object. Each one showed a different surrounding, a different path…

_Keiichi…I'm coming…_

She found one, and leapt through.

xxxxxx

Skuld licked the cone.

_Ahhhh. The joy of a cold treat on a summer's day is…heavenly._

Skuld let her tongue carve out a trench through chocolate and vanilla.

_Ohhhh…yes…heavenly…_

Skuld curled a bit of the frozen delicacy in her mouth, savoring the taste as it melted into a sweet, milky sap.

_Mhmmm-_

"Gomen-nasai! Gomen-nasai!" A flustered goddess called out she landed from the mirror on the alley's side door, not registering who it was that she knocked into. She sprinted off.

"Onee-sama? ONEE-SAMA!" Skuld took off after her.

xxxxxx

Mara zipped off quickly, taking to chances at how fast Belldandy would arrive. A first class demon was trained to be evasive and act with haste, and their first lessons was the correct methods of handling a situation, whether to run with a hostage, stay and gloat, or leave the victim behind to be safe. Option 3 was the best choice.

And to be exact, the first lesson was how to grovel to the Daimakaicho for forgiveness. Oh, don't we all love Hild. 

xxxxxx

Peorth raced down towards the earth's surface. Holiday permitted, and then she just HAS to feel a pulse of misery flashing out. First Class had its obligations.

_Sigh. I wonder who it is…_

Keiichi, Belldandy and the rest would be surprised by her visit.

_I wonder if I can reach their residence for dinner._

xxxxxx

It is the law of narrative consequence that when a pair of people accelerate at high speeds, they have to meet each other head-to-head and have a nice knock.

Peorth's mind fuelled her to streak ever so much faster towards the ground.

Mara's mind fuelled her to streak ever so much faster away from the ground.

Faster. And faster.

And faster.

And then came the crack.

A goddess was sent spiraling off, and a demon just plummeted downwards.

xxxxxx

Keiichi turned and looked around. Something felt weird.

xxxxxx

Belldandy ran as fast as she could, her mind fuelled with Keiichi's possible predicaments. She had to save him. He was everything. She had to save him. Absolutely.

_Keiichi-san…_

xxxxxx

Skuld hated running.

xxxxxxx

Belldandy swerved right, narrowly avoiding a lamppost, and dashed into an alley. She knew Keiichi was nearby. _Keiichi-san was at…Whirlwind Motorcycles._ She turned another corner, her determination giving her a burst of speed. A demonic presence registered in her mind, but it was quickly dismissed. Keiichi-san's safety was the primary objective.

xxxxxx

Skuld hated running into a lamppost.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Okay, to start of a trend of author's notes, I'll just say, "Thanks for reading".

Review if you like, I can't force you to, after all. But I'll appreciate it.

I lack a muse. I'll nab one later.

Cheers! (insert smiley here.)


	2. Changes

_Keiichi-san…_

xxxxxx

Keiichi paused in his thoughts, and looked down.

_Oh. It's just my body._

**Pause.**

_NANI!_

Keiichi Morisato lay on the ground in stasis. Keiichi Morisato hovered above him, staring and tearing his hair out.

_This isn't happening. This isn't happening. I must be dreaming again. Floating out of my body is as likely as a person dropping out of the sky._

Mara thudded down a meter away, knocking out. A faint spiritual presence floated out and stayed unmoving in the air.

…_Mara's a demon. Doesn't count._

xxxxxx

Belldandy speeded up. She knew something was wrong, the auras she was feeling did not seem right. _Keiichi-san…Keiichi-san…_

She didn't register the lack of a hammer-wielding sister.

xxxxxx

Skuld got to her feet, shaky from the impact. _Why me…_She felt her conscious swimming._ I have to concentrate. Or Onee-sama…Onee-sama…_

She steadied herself, and walked off into the sunset. Pity the lamppost was due east.

xxxxxx

Peorth shook herself, and looked up. A hole in the roof. Turning to her side, she scanned the area. A tile. Another tile. Another tile. _Just how fast did I fall?_ Incantations dancing on her lips, she let her aura extend itself out, sweeping the place. _A bedroom. I can feel imprints of a person…close…familiar…Keiichi?_

Peorth stood up. At least she reached her destination. Now for dinner.

xxxxxx

Keiichi felt himself loosing grip on his form. _Am I…vanishing? I can't afford to disperse…I can't…no… Belldandy…_

He steadied his mind, and tried to concentrate. There must be a way…there must be a way…Keiichi Morisato, average guy with vertical challenges, was faced with the question of his life. What can you do, when you are out of your body, loosing a grip, and there's a demon soul floating nearby unconscious?

xxxxxx

Belldandy feared the worst when she saw Mara's and Keiichi's bodies lying motionless on the ground. Approaching Keiichi's slowly, the goddess bent down and shook the still person slowly. Then faster. And faster still.

_Keiichi-san…wake up…please…_

The shaking erupted into a hysterical fit of near-throttling and sobbing.

_Keiichi-san! Keiichi-san! KEIICHI-SAN!_

Belldandy hugged the unmoving figure tightly and burst into tears.

xxxxxx

_Bel-Belldandy? Belldandy! Can you hear me? Belldandy!_

xxxxxx

_Keiichi-san…why…was it…Mara?_

xxxxxx

_Belldandy! I'm here! Belldandy! BELLDANDY!_

xxxxxx

Belldandy felt a surge of emotion well up in her, and turn skywards to calm herself. _A first class goddess must never falter. A first class goddess must be able to carry out her task with precision and dedication. A first class goddess must never fail the patron. And Keiichi-san…Keiichi-san…isn't just a normal patron._

xxxxxx

_Where am I? This feeling…soul…Gack._

Mara was not a happy demon.

xxxxxx

Belldandy registered two souls in mid-air. By goddess protocol, resurrection would be the method to go. What Belldandy could not decipher, was which soul belonged to Keiichi. She could do any of the following. Randomly select souls, and risk violating protocol. Leave souls to disperse, and lose Keiichi and Mara. Spend time to tap into the souls, and risk them to disperse. Time was the essence.

_Keiichi-san…come back…_

Belldandy began the resurrection process.

xxxxxx

Imagine a kitchen sink, complete with those fancy wire-baskets to hold soap. Imagine bits of dinner swishing around and around, coming back together at one point with the help of a great force of suction.

Keiichi Morisato felt his senses kick in, and he knocked out.

xxxxxx

A demon is trained to avoid goddesses and gods when the situation demands it. Mara, demon first class, could easily see her own power on an all time low. _I'll set that aside now. Bigger matters to attend to._

Mara warped out of that area the moment she regained her composure. A power recharge would follow.

xxxxxx

Keiichi was not having a good day. Considering he had just woken up after being hit by Mara, what came after was not a nice way to say "Hi, welcome back".

"KEII-KEIICHI! Wu-wut the…"

"NANI!"

"Keiichi-san…"

"…Keiichi? KEIICHI?"

He got up, and gave a quick smile. This only caused three goddesses to cringe and one goddess to smile back.

"Gomen, gomen. I got knocked out by Mara and…"

A triangle-marked goddess grabbed the closest mirror and shoved it at Keiichi's face. The lad blinked.

"It's not that. Explain THIS."

It's one thing to know that you've just been in stasis for a couple of hours. It's another thing to know that you've just acquired a pair of streaks on your forehead and a star on the right cheek.

**Pause.**

Keiichi Morisato, assistant at Whirlwind Motorcycles, partial-student of Nekomi Technical Institute, Demon First Class Unlicensed, took the chance to knock himself out by hitting the floor with a thud.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Nuffink much to say at the moment. Updating will probably be once, or more, a week. Somebody prod me if I fail to meet up with that deadline.

Cheers!


	3. First Confrontations

Disclaimer: I don't own AMG/OMG. (Darn.) (Chapter 1 & 2, I forgot to put this. Just imagine it's there. (: )

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Belldandy grasped Keiichi, and immersed herself in deep thought.

_Keiichi-san…why…a demon?_

Three other goddesses pondered over their own concerns.

_Keiichi…Mara…could it have been…?_

_I ALWAYS knew Keiichi wanted to harm Onee-sama!_

_A demon, eh…?_

Worry occurs to all beings, goddesses included.

xxxxxx

Mara was at a lost. Something about the virus had gone wrong. Very wrong. The ultimate force was back, and out for the kill. She would be in deep, deep trouble for this.

_Hild: Kyahahahahhahaha! Kyahahahahahhah!_

_Mara: Nooo! Nooo! Stop the music! Stop the music!_

_Her legs were growing tired, thrown into endless turmoil by the power of rock, sent into an abyss of eternal physical suffering…_

Mara whimpered.

Taking a step back, Peorth bowed slightly, before raising her head to address the ones before her.

"I shall return to Heaven. This has to be deeply investigated before we carry out further actions. I'll return back later, after my assignment is complete."

She got no reply from three brooding Norns and one still Morisato.

_I hope this turns out fine._

The goddess sighed deeply, before allowing herself to sink into the nearest lens.

xxxxxx

Keiichi awoke to a sleeping Belldandy. Urd, Skuld and Peorth had vanished.

_That was a dream, right? I'm a human, yea, a human._

He walked up to the nearest mirror, and looked closely. The marks were still there.

_Demonic Marks…I should have powers, then. But…how?_

He raised his palm, and tried to call forth an aura.

_Belldandy…will she…leave me because of this?_

An exciting nothing happened.

_Belldandy…_

Keiichi broke down, for one of the few times in his life.

xxxxxxx

We take a break to analyze the system of auras and magic the gods and demons use in spell casting and related things. An aura is based off the individual's person, thus shaping his or her basic elemental attributes and skills in various fields.

Magic comes from tapping a power source, a line of energy, in relation to the element.

This raw aura is shaped into the desired spell, before a full amount of energy is channeled through the god or demon, and pumped into the spell to create the result. The being makes the program code, and the magic gave power to the words, allowing the being to 'program' reality, or, in other words, to cast a spell.

Hence, once such a being is killed, a power line will be untamed, and leak its force into the surroundings, to disastrous effect. The duplet system wasn't just to prevent Heaven and Hell from launching into direct conflict. A soul will leak its power line into anything.

Another soul, torn from its body, is generally a good choice.

xxxxxx

Belldandy opened her eyes slowly, and got up. The room had emptied, save her and Keiichi. Who, at the current moment, was clutching his knees facing a mirror and remaining silent.

"Keiichi-san? Keiichi-san?"

No reply.

"Keiichi-san?"

Keiichi sighed slowly.

"Keiichi-san…"

The goddess went over to him, and hugged tight.

xxxxxx

"Peorth! The duplet system…"

"Hmmm?"

"It must be wrecked!"

"Hmmm?"

"None of the goddesses have died, yet one demon is registered so!"

Peorth paused, and pondered over what her subordinate had said. _One demon died…Mara? Belldandy resurrected her, so naturally it would have been registered. But the duplet system isn't the weird part. It's Mara's power source…_

A picture of Keiichi with demon markings flashed across her mind.

_No. Impossible. He can't control the pow- Unless. But it's even more far-fetched…_

xxxxxx

Urd drummed her fingers on the keyboard's side. The Ultimate Force had been brought up again, but the server had been sent into overdrive. Somebody had managed to sneak in a bug to corrupt the files tagged onto the millions of contracts, aiming to severe the bonds.

This plan had backfired. Instead, after Urd fixed the system, the bug's absence caused the files to click together with further ease. The force was now making sure each wish held true with absolute certainity. _To fight fire with fire, eh? The cogs of destiny sure turn in strange ways…_

Urd sighed, and returned to the screen.

xxxxxx

Keiichi turned to face Belldandy, though his eyes stared transfixed at the tatami below his crossed legs.

"Belldandy…I'm…a….a…"

"It's okay. What matters it's you're fine, Keiichi-san…"

Keiichi paused.

"Doesn't it trouble you, Belldandy?"

He got a tighter hug for this.

"No, not at all." _As long as you are still Keiichi-san at heart, I'll always…_

"Gomen-nasai, I'm causing you trouble again."

They shared that embrace.

xxxxxx

"Peorth, found anything?"

Peorth shook her head, and returned to a sweeping of every contract.

_…a new car…money…endless fame…talent…Somehow, these seem shallow. But there're so many of them._

The goddess hit the search function and began keying in specifics.

BEING.

_Morisato Keiichi, Male, Human._

NO SEARCH RESULTS.

Peorth paused in thought, and returned to the search function.

_Let's see…Morisato Keiichi, Male, Demon._

She drew her breath, and hit enter.

1 SEARCH RESULT(S)

_Now we're getting somewhere._

A decisive "click" ran out as the file for contracts was selected.

xxxxxx

Skuld hated debugging, at usual time. But now, each bug she saw, she pictured Keiichi's face and demon marks on. Smashing and pulverizing was never so fun.

_Keiichi…if you hurt Onee-sama while we're away, I will…_

**Thud.** Another bug dissolved into void.

xxxxxx

Keiichi had come to decide that hugging each other while brooding over what had happened was too corny and seemed rather pointless. Though he enjoyed the former of the two actions.

"Belldandy, any idea what caused this?"

"Gomen-nasai, Keiichi-san, but I don't know at all."

On reflection, Keiichi decided that corny was good. The two shared another long moment.

xxxxxx

_How long are the two going to stay that way? It's a success for me, though._

Urd sat at the door, looking in. _There wasn't much for me to fix, anyway._

xxxxxx

Peorth stared at the screen, as though willing it to defy her.

_It's impossible…It's really impossible…The reason for this…_

xxxxxx

Mara hovered above the temple, charging her hands with raw energy. _I can redeem myself, though._

She let the power course through her veins. _Demon, eh? Disgrace, more of. Taste what a true class one demon can do!_

xxxxxx

_…could be because of…_

xxxxxx

Urd knew something was wrong the moment she registered a sudden increase in the power levels around the area. _A demonic aura…a FARMILAR demonic aura…Mara?_

She paused, and raised her head to scan the area. _Darkness. A perfect cover._

_"It'll get darker still."_

"Nani?" Urd cried out, before toppling to the ground.

xxxxxx

_…the very wording…_

Keiichi and Belldandy broke their embrace and spun round quickly. The goddess sent an aura tingling out, searching for the cause. The demon attempted to follow suit, his aura lashing away with speed.

_I've to ask Belldandy to teach me later._

_Onee-sama…Onee-sama…_Belldandy got up, along with Keiichi, and they quickly vacated the room.

xxxxxx

_…of a phrase which…_

xxxxxx

Mara would rectify her mistake, oh yes, oh yes. And she would use everything in her power to remove a dem- no, a creature marring her own title. Yes, it gives him misery, in some ways, but…_Keiichi Morisato…_

She snapped her fingers, calling forth an orb of dark energy.

_For using my power line…_

Mara closed her eyes, allowing the markings on her face to glow and blaze.

_For defacing my name…_

A faint tingling could be registered, and Mara let her rage fuel her spell.

_And for reeking of happiness and INFECTING others with your joy…_

Mara grinned and raised her hands.

_I promise you…_

She let the spell - an intricate piece of research and mastery, tap right into her powers.

_Suffering._

Mara fired, and to be literal, all hell broke loose.

xxxxxx

_…so deeply affected…_

xxxxxx

Keiichi was the first to detect the bolt heading straight for them.

"Belldandy!" He lunged sideways, grabbing the goddess as a floorboards apparently came up to meet him face-to-face. _This magic…I can feel it…possibly understand it…eventually wield it…_

The bolt tore through the house, sending a deep gash across the floor, all objects in a state of utter upheaval. The room, like a hurricane had blown past it, was a complete mess of tables, cushions, floorboards, tiles, Keiichi and Belldandy.

Belldandy blinked, and quickly registered the status of the surroundings. _Mara…what did you do?_ She got into a casting stance, and whispered an incantation under her breath. Another followed in quick succession, followed by a third. A gale-force wind picked up, and began to concentrate on the forearm of the goddess, swirling into a ball of howling air. _Mara…gomen nasai._

Belldandy opened her palm wide, and blasted straight in the direction of Mara's aura.

xxxxxx

_…the lives of a goddess, and a…_

xxxxxx

Mara was amazed by the amount of power surging through the temple and straight for her. She was, literally, swept off her feet. A bolt hit her straight in the left shoulder, and a soft pop told her that that arm would be in stasis for quite a while. _Zephyr's March, eh? A high-level wind spell that seems to just fire off numerous small blasts of air, while…_

Mara felt her body undergo enormous amounts of pain as the pressure around her was lowered drastically.

_…actually launching an attack which is unseen and undetectable – until it hits you._

She grasped her sides, teeth-clenched as she writhed in the sheer agony from the depressurization.

_I'd better pull out. But I'll be back!_

Mara raised a shaky hand, and snapped her fingers. She vanished with a puff of smoke.

xxxxxx

_…certain 'mortal human'._

xxxxxx

Belldandy trembled a little, before collapsing where she stood.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Whew. I'm sloggin on Chapter 4, so it'll be up soon, after I get the editing done.

Thanks to anybody reading this, I really appreciate it. :)


	4. Demon's life, Human's life

Disclaimer: I don't own AMG/OMG.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Peorth stared unbelieving at the screen. _But this is…absolutely impossible. The force can't do this, can it?_

A troubled goddess isn't a good thing. _I guess I'll have to speak to…Kami-sama._

xxxxxx

A room, with no sense of time or space. An endless stretch of tiles and a comfy feel, with a certain authentic touch of a heavenly realm to it. Above, the floating continents of ceiling fragments spanned out in all directions, their gaps showing sky between them. And, in the center, the main control system of heaven.

A desk, with computer on it. A rosewood antique beauty, with a musty smell to it. That's the desk. The computer was no rosewood product, but an antique beauty all the same. Complete with it's own weird musty smell.

I just don't get how Kami-sama can fit all this into an apparently small typical office, at least viewed from outside. Peorth walked across the titles, mapping out her own path to pass through the mind-bending labyrinth of empty space. _I have my own sense of space, and I shall use it. There is no infinite, no endless, no-_

The sound of a chair being pushed outwards told Peorth of her arrival to the desk. _Remember the procedures. Bow, then speak carefully._

"Er. Kami-sama! I've an important thin-" _And I always have to put the 'er' there._

"**I heard. The force, correct?"**

"Yes."

"**It will sort itself out. Do not worry, my child."**

"But, Kami-sama! How can the forc-"

"**A human came up with a theory. Every action will-"**

"Have an equal and opposite reaction. But, Kami-sama, how can a mortal be-"

"**Relax, my child. The force has its ways."**

"Hai." Peorth bowed deeply to the figure whose back faced her, and walked slowly backwards, each step placed carefully to avoid creating unnecessary noise or disturbances to Him. A soft **thunk** sounded out as her left foot impacted mildly with the oaken double doors, their imposing monolithic structure vastly different from the outer counterpart; a single door with the words "Creater" labeled very precisely on it.

Peorth bowed once more, and turned to leave the room.

xxxxxx

Mara could feel something very wrong with her life. For one thing, she was considerably weaker. For another, a certain telephone was not complying with her wishes.

It was ringing - for ages, and nobody had picked it up. Mara paused, awaiting Hild's punishment.

_Gosh. I wonder what's installed for me._

The phone just moved into stretches of static.

_Eh. I called the…wrong number? Impossible. I'm a demon._

She slammed the phone down, and picked it up again.

_Phoneth, I commandeth thee!_

Mara felt her blood pressure rising. The damn device was not working.

_Phoneth, I comm-_

_Wait-a-minute. Since when…_

She grabbed her wrists, and concentrated on them.

_…did I have a pulse?_

Mara was very, very disturbed.

xxxxxx

Pulling up a blanket for the sleeping goddess, Keiichi observed the features on her forehead and cheeks. _Three defined shapes…so a demon has streaks and, or, a defined shape instead. I wonder about mine…_

He walked over to a mirror, and raised his hands, running them across the marks on his face. _Not embossed, nor imprinted, just…marks._ The pair of lines felt no different from the rest of his skin, nor did the star. _Two red gashes, and one red star. I feel so silly with these. Though…they seem kinda familiar._

Keiichi had been recalling weird memories as time went pass. _A gate…some occult-designed scythe…Belldandy…Midgard…_Not like he understood them, at any rate, but the marks seemed to have some link.

He turned back to the goddess. _She sleeps for recharge. I wonder what I must do._

At that juncture, the phone decided to ring.

xxxxxx

Mara breathed heavily. _I'm losing it…I'm losin- I'M BREATHING. FOR REAL._

While a more accurate term would be "hyperventilating", Mara would be better off not knowing at all.

_Guess I should have known. That last offensive spell I fired, plus that near-fatal fall…what was the cost?_

She whipped round, and grabbed a small stone.

_I shall test._

xxxxxx

"Hello, this is-"

"MARA-CHAN! Where have you been so far?"

Keiichi stared at the phone, before something clicked in his mind. _Daimakaicho. Oh. No._

"…Mara-chan?"

"Um.sorrymissyou'vethewrongnumber!"

He slammed the phone down into it's cradle, before staring at it in deep shock. _But…how…_

xxxxxx

Hild sat on her recliner, tapping her feet against the floor in thought. _That wasn't Mara-chan. The voice was familiar though. Somebody I met…I remember Urd-chan around, too. Could he be…Keiichi-kun? But. The subtones of a demon…I wonder if…_

The Queen of Hell paced out of her office. There were matters to attend to.

xxxxxx

Mara was sweating.

"Fly, stone!" The little stone remained still as a, well, a stone.

She twitched, and concentrated again.

"Fly! Stone!" An amazing amount of nothing happened.

She tried to concentrate harder.

"FLY! STONE!" The stone was unresponsive.

Mara banged a fist on the floor. _Am I really just a person, now?_

xxxxxx

Urd yawned slowly, and stretched against the floor's waxen surface. _I must have knocked out for ages. Wonder how Skuld and Belldandy are doing. Even more so, wonder how Keiichi's doing._ She got to her feet, and walked into the room.

Urd came. Urd saw. Urd's jaw dropped and she stared hard at the scene before her.

Skuld was inexistent in the picture. This was good.

Belldandy was sleeping from an obvious over-use of powers. This was bad.

Keiichi was…attempting to cast a spell. This was absolutely stupid.

_I'm pretty sure standing up, putting on a constipated expression and chanting "HooomalamalamalaKOOM" was never taught in our academy._

xxxxxx

Keiichi turned round at the sound of the door being opened, and spotted Urd standing with a bemused expression on her face, watching him play the giddy goat.

He quickly stopped, and scratched the back of his head. _Okay. I've just proven to Urd that I'm stupid._

"Anyway. Keiichi, I expect you're just waiting for Belldandy to recover, right?"

"Er. Hai."

Urd sighed. _No license means no bond. A renegade will be hunted down, though. He's in great danger. Guess there's only one way…_

"Keiichi."

The demon turned round from another series of weird actions, and blinked a couple of times.

"Would you like to learn spell-casting…properly?"

xxxxxx

Mara was at a loss. Firstly, the trans-dimensional hideaway area she had made had vanished, leaving her stranded with no home. Secondly, her lack of understanding of humans had resulted in many unwitting offences. Thirdly, there were many words she did not understand, technical terms used amongst the people. And fourthly…

"I can't stay here?"

"Yes. Get off my lawn."

"Watcha mean, I can't?"

"It's my property. Get out."

"It's just a patch of grass."

The man sighed, and blew a quick whistle.

xxxxxx

"Offensive, or defensive?"

Keiichi pondered over this question. "Offensive."

"Then we'll have to determine your alignment…" _I can't really remember how they did it in the academy. Maybe I could use the writing test._

Urd dug her pockets, and drew out an oddly-shaped pencil, with an aura of its own.

"Keiichi, use your mind to move this."

The demon closed his eyes, and focused in an attempt to do so.

**W**

_Urd grinned in anticipation._

**I**

_Wind, I guess. Or "Winter", as in Ice and Water._

**N**

_Nearly there…_

**QW57456YIO513DFA123NCAP98E.**

"KEIICHI! CONCENTRATE!"

xxxxxx

Mara crouched along the sidewalk. She had just learnt the meaning of "Guard-dog".

_I'll need a home. I'll need money, as it seems. So I'll have to work._

She sighed. Humans had it tough.

_I'll start with the job._

xxxxxx

Urd slapped herself mentally for accepting Keiichi as a student. _I can't believe…that…idiot…lets his…mind wander…so much. _Urd stood up, a crooked grin on her face as she turned to speak to Keiichi.

"Now. Why. Don't. We. Try. Again. Tee. Hee. Hee."

Keiichi merely shrugged and attempted to carve the element's name once more.

**W**

_Just let him finish it once._

**I**

_It's bound to be 'wind', but I just have to confirm._

**N**

_So close._

**D**

_Knew it. And he finally finished it, too._

Keiichi just blinked and stared as Urd cried happy tears of liberation.

xxxxxx

Hild paused in her search, and sat down to think. _A demon. A human. Highly unlikely…but it would mean Keiichi is now a first class, unlicensed demon. Surrounded by four influencial goddesses. If he were to join the sides of the gods…_

The Daimakaicho smiled a grin that promised a bright, happy future of death, blood and endless suffering.

xxxxxx

_Technically, I should have Belldandy teaching him. They share the same domain, too._

Urd sighed deeply, and resumed to teaching Keiichi the correct methodology of not detonating an elemental concentration.

xxxxxx

Once again, we take a quick break to consider how casting is carried out. Before a spell is created, an "Initiation Program Code" is required to authorize the materialization of the spell. This code comes in the form of a summoned aura or globe of energy with the right alignment. Once the Yggdrasil is able to confirm the individual's code, the uplink is established and the being is able to reprogram the area of concentration to carry out a certain task; which is basically spell casting.

Keiichi Morisato did not seem to grasp the fact that concentration of the element has to be maintained.

xxxxxx

Belldandy shifted slightly in her sleep, before opening her eyes and sitting up. _I remember a spell…Mara…Onee-sama being knocked out…and Keiichi-san…KEIICHI-SAN!_

She quickly got up, and walked hastily to the doors of the temple.

Belldandy looked at the drama unfolding before her, and laughed lightly. _Keiichi-san…_

The goddess sat down to watch.

xxxxxx

"_Lord of Thunder, hear my cry, release your shackles and _um."

"KEIICHI! AGAIN!"

"_Lord of Thunder, hear my cry, release your shac_ Oh darn." 

"KEII. CHI."

_"LORD OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY, RELEASE YOUR SHACKLES AND FLY! ARGENT TEMPEST!"_

Belldandy looked on serenely as the front porch blew itself up in a flurry of wind, leaves, soil, tiles and Urd. _Though…if Keiichi-san's a demon, how can he use god-aligned spells?_

xxxxxx

Skuld paused in the pulverization of the nearest bug. _I swore I felt a pulse of demon magic. Could Keiichi be…? Nope. I guess he's probably being tortured with prickly objects now._

xxxxxx

"But, Urd! I really don't need that…ACK!"

Urd smiled grimly as she slid the hypodermic needle into Keiichi's shoulder. _Go to sleep, you idiot._

xxxxxx

"Your qualifications?"

"Meaning?"

Mara was experience major difficulties. For one, all jobs needed some sort of licensing. For two, people kept asking her about "universe city", what ever that was. _I've been to Asgard, once, on a trip with Urd. But a Universe City…Never heard of it. Maybe it's like the Academy, since you get a Degree there._

"I repeat. What level of education have you completed?"

"Devilogy, Advanced Spell-casting and Spell-breaking, Offensive and Defensive Barriers, Program codes and high-level system tapping, first Class."

"…so you're some sort of magician-cum-hacker?"

"You could put it that way."

"I see."

A long, meaningful pause followed.

xxxxxx

Keiichi awoke from his medicine-induced sleep, and turned to check the time. _9:45. I've already slept for so long. It's a miracle there's no school. _

**Pause.**

_SCHOOL! I can't. Turn up looking like. THIS._

Keiichi looked quickly around the house, searching for a cure. Five minutes later, he admitted it was rather incredulous for a book called _"How to disguise you've weird markings: for Dummies" _to be lying around the house.

_Maybe if I…_Keiichi resigned himself to his fate, _I'll go back to practicing. _

He clambered across the room, stepping over a Urd, sprawled spread-eagle on the floor, deeply immersed in the dreams of the careless and worriless. _Wish I were as lucky. _Keiichi sighed.

Cat-quiet footsteps allowed Keiichi to precede all the way pass the rooms and to the front door with no noise, and the demon was pleased for this. _If I'm caught, who knows what torture Urd will attempt to put me through in the name of training?_

The demon snuck out into the moonlight and sat down. _The hour of the dead, indeed. Moonlight on the still water, a soft wind rustling through the leaves, the night lit with the faint glow of the celestial orbs…amazing. Perhaps this is what "Heaven on Earth" is. Though…somehow…I think this won't last._

"KEIICHI! I GOT A SOLUTION!"

…_I guessed it…_

xxxxxx

_I can't believe I'm doing this._

Mara turned to face the creature before her. It was huge. It was chestnut-yellow. It was drooling all over the floor, a clear sticky puddle of slobber around it. It had eyes of the wild; its teeth glinting far too much in the sunlight. It was a born hunter.

It was a golden retriever called "Blitz".

"Erm. Good dog?"

_On reflection, signing up as a housekeeper for a rich family was a bad idea, free lodging or not._

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Whew. After more editing, Chapter 4's finally out. 5 will come in a couple of days or so, I guess. If I can get more time to write, then yes. I've to thank the following people for reviewing, too. (Forgot to do so in Chapter 3.)

NefCanuck- This chapter answers your question. :grin:

Urd no super hentai - Thanks for the interest.

Cheers!


	5. Second Confrontations

Disclaimer: I don't own AMG/OMG.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Daimakaicho walked back into her office, a small stack of files levitating behind her as she moved. At every step she would pause, and one could see her scowling slightly in obvious displeasure. _I'll be forced to…eliminate him. Or the powers of the demons will be revealed to the gods._

Hild turned and let herself plop down on the recliner, dropping the binders into the emptiness around her. It bobbed a little, before hovering stationary. _I've no idea how powered he is, though. Looks like I've only one option._

A fox-like grin spread across the Queen's face.

xxxxxxx

A certain demon stared at a certain goddess with rather suspicious eyes.

"Say that again?"

"If you ingest an angel's egg, you'll probably be able to become a god!"

"…Right. Wasn't there something about power levels?" _I fear her answer._

"Well…"

_I really fear her answer._

"That's what your new, intense, and overall SPECIAL training is for!"

Urd smiled brightly and ran off, though not before turning around to shout at Keiichi.

"Remember, one o'clock, which is an hour from now!"

_Why. Me._

xxxxxx

Seven hours, breakfast, and three more hours later, Keiichi was beginning to feel that the requirement for an angel was death.

"Go for it, Keiichi-san!"

_At least there's Belldandy here._

The demon smiled weakly, and got himself to his feet.

_What did Urd say again? Hand motions, incantations, summoning…_

Keiichi raised his hands in a slow, liquid motion.

_Remember…the system is at one with you. You flow in it…_

A circular palm movement followed in quick succession.

…_And it flows with you. The Yggdrasil is a both a program…_

Taking a step backwards, he let his legs arch into a reverse curve.

_And the life force of everything._

Urd blinked a few times. _I never thought him those movements._

The demon in question took another crescent-shaped step frontward.

_What it created, it will destroy. For it was built by…_

Keiichi drew his palms back, and stood steady.

…_Gods and Demons, and built for Gods and Demons…_

Both hands drew themselves to his chest, and they met with a definitive **"clap"**.

…_And it's power is ours to tap._

Keiichi thrust his hands out to his side, and stood in a mid-crouch position.

Urd stared. _Very, very familiar. But I'm sure I've never thought him that before. I wonder what it is-_ It was at that point which Keiichi began his program coding.

_"Sear the air with heaven's slice, Flux the winds with hell's device, Raise the storms with fear long-drawn, Call down nature's wrath reborn. Sedna's Whisper."_

A gust built up around the demon, and began to wrap itself around his hand, forming a shimmering, spiraling wrap. As the tempest died down, the flurry around Keiichi's arm condensed into a translucent, silver-tinged blade, glinting maliciously in the sunlight. He swung it up and down for a feel, before looking up at the goddesses and smiled as brightly as the edges of his 'sword'.

"Keiichi-san, wonderful!"

Urd just watched her sister laugh. _Impossible. That skill is a near exact replica of…No. It's still impossible._

xxxxxx

_How I hate this._

A broom whisked across the ground.

_How I so hate this._

A pile of dust with blasted to bits by the impact of a certain bristled stick.

_How I so, so hate this._

"Very good, Mara-chan! And you cut a nice figure in that outfit, too."

_How I so, so, so hate HIM._

Aoshima decided that Mara grinning evilly and pulverizing a dirt speck was not exactly a good sign. He returned to his papers. _Though, she's too cute to be resisted. Maybe just a small peek._

xxxxxx

**Click. Clickity-click. Click. Wham. Wham. Wham.**

One more of these scrunched up codes, and I'm done. 

Skuld, impromptu debugger of system coding and third-party tapping software, decided it was high time she was free from the post which had been dumped on her by means of sabotage. It was high time she had a break. It was high time she went to Earth. It was high time she saw Onee-sama. It was high time she punished Keiichi.

The Skuld Button Mashing Grand Finals soon began.

xxxxxx

_"Splinter Surge!"_

"_Vermillion Breeze!"_

A few beams of gold shot downward, homing in onto a single target… only to be countered by an orange swirl of wind energy.

Urd flipped backwards and landed in a crouch in the roof tiles. _He's good, for a new demon. Being able to handle first class magic so easily, too._

Keiichi had flung himself onto a branch, and using it as a pivot, he swung an arc, leaping in Urd's direction.

_Hand-to-Hand, eh, Keiichi? I can live with that. _She called up a little ball of lightning in her palm. _In three…two…on-_

"_Sedna's Whisper."_

Urd saw Keiichi vanish from his location in mid-air, before a breeze streaked past her, slicing her sleeve off.

She turned round, and stared at a demon, grinning and giving a thumbs up. _That move, too. He uses it so easily. Far too easily. Considering who else uses something similar to it._

The goddess watched as Keiichi went over to collect a cup of tea from a brightly smiling Belldandy, the pair bursting into peals of merry laughter, the sub-tones of a demon and a goddess merging as one for a long, long time in history.

_There's something about him I can't figure out._

xxxxxx

Peorth raced across the ground, while using her aura to track those of the beasts tailing her. _Demonic traces. I'm caught up in something, all right. Let's see, we have…_

She spared a moment's time to take a quick glimpse of her hunters.

_…Three dog-like creatures, one scythe-armed humanoid and a Second Class demon leading them. Tsk. They underestimate my abilities._

Kicking her foot briefly into the ground, the goddess did a reverse somersault into the air, before landing behind her chasers. _Come forth, Gorgeous Rose! _The angel materialized behind her.

Peorth sprang up once again, kicking off a lamppost before lashing out with a rose-thorn whip, drawing blood. She let the gash thicken, before tilting her hand slightly to allow the weapon to sink in deeper. A quick tug ravaged one hound. _Too easy._

The others were already moving into attacking positions, ready to strike. Two dogs and one monstrosity bulleted towards her, aimed to maim and poised to kill. Peorth sighed for a moment, before crouching down.

She disappeared from view.

The creatures paused, switching into a defensive mode, while the demon, alone by himself, simply stood aside to watch, though under the protection of a heavy shield. _She's fast. They'll be overwhelmed._

Nothing happened for a while, and the beings became wary.

**Crack.**

The second hound was slammed into a wall, before thorns broke through and wrapped themselves around it, constricting and impaling. The third hound simply succumbed to a sudden blow to the neck, producing a light **"snap"** sound. The monster just turned round and got its face kicked in.

Peorth phased back into vision's boundaries, landed on the ground too softly. _As expected, they couldn't match me in speed. And now, we're left with him._

The demon in question grinned slightly, before disengaging the shield, and stepping forwards.

Peorth fell into a caster's stance. _I'll let him make the first move._

"Him" simply stood there, and smiled. _I'll let her make the first move._

A slight pause indicated no one was going to move anyway.

It only took five seconds later for both to vanish from their spots.

They traded blows in mid-air, before the demon struck the goddess in the chest, and swinging her downward. Peorth slammed into the ground with a sickening thud.

_Gah. He's quick to spot a hole in my defense. Let's end this quick._

She got to her feet, before leaping backwards and landing in a semi-crouch.

The goddess sped through the incantations with practiced motions, and muttered slowly; _"Garnet Ascension…"_

Crimson petals begin falling for absolutely no reason, and the demon simply stared at them, pulling up a shield for safety's sake. _Can't trust a goddess with this._

Peorth smiled serenely, and snapped her fingers. _"…Begin."_

The roses stopped falling, and hung in mid-air. A slight pause signified impending doom, and the demon narrowed his eyes to slits. I've to stop this before she actually begins the attack. He lunged out of the shield, a ball of dark energy hollowing in the wind.

**Pause.**

The first thing he noted was that he had not impacted. The second thing he noted was the fact that the petals had wrapped his torso like a straitjacket. The third thing he noted was Peorth's all-too-bright smile.

A pair of wings blossomed from the petals, fanning out in all their glory.

Before slamming in on the demon. A brilliant red glow surrounded it, and a flash of crimson light lashed out across the land.

Peorth turned away from the fizzed-out demon, before preparing a quick dimensional jump. _Be grateful. I let you suffer in beauty. And be grateful for the duplet system, too…_

She began the recall protocol.

_…You piece of second-rate junk._

xxxxxx

Belldandy stopped for a moment in the clearing up of dishes, and closed her eyes._ I sense…something. Something is coming here. A friend? A…foe? Keiichi-san…could 'it' be after you?_

She walked out of the kitchen, and towards Keiichi's room.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Whew, finally managed to get Chapter 5 out. Well, sorry to keep you waiting. Anyway, I'll like to thank RedPBass for reviewing, too.

The next chapter'll be out as soon as possible, due to school and stuff. Hopefully, I'll have it by Monday or Tuesday.

Once again, thanks for anyone reading this.


	6. Third Confrontations

Discliamer: I don't own AMG/OMG.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Keiichi Morisato was lost in his thoughts when Belldandy had put her hands around him.

…_? Can't deny I don't enjoy this, though._

The two looked up to the moon, enjoying the moment's calm.

"Bell-chan?"

"Mhmm?"

_She didn't respond to that new 'title'. That's a relief._

"What day is it today?"

"Sunday."

_So it's already been two days since the change. I wonder if-_

The colour drained from Keiichi's face, turning him a rather pearly shade of white.

"Oh. No. Sunday."

The goddess next to him blinked a couple of times.

"Keiichi-san doesn't like Sundays?"

_No, it's not that…it's…it's…_

"It's school, Bell-chan. School. Tomorrow."

Belldandy resumed to hugging the flustered demon, wondering what the problem with school was. _But still…what was that I felt?_

xxxxxx

A blur of black and purple streaked downwards towards the ground, moving at impossibly high speeds. A quick turn in mid-air allowed it to pause in flight, revealing a certain Daimakaicho scanning the area.

_Low population density around here. It shouldn't be too hard singling out a demon's aura._

She let her own lash out to the ground below.

xxxxxxx

_I supposed this is a bed._

Mara stared at the soft, rectangular object in front her. _Bed. Uh-huh._

She poked it, it sunk in a little. _So…_

Mara scratched her head, before sitting down on the floor.

_What am I suppose to do with it?_

Grabbing her belongings, she walked over to the offending piece of furniture, and dumped them on it. _I suppose it's for putting stuff. _The stuff in question just sank into the cushiony depths of cotton and cloth. _Weird. Who would put their items on such a soft object? Shock-proofing?_

Mara stretched out on the floor, and faced the ceiling.

_I'm tired already. So quickly, too._

She got to her feet again, and looked around her. _A bed, an object for putting more objects on. A drawer, an object with empty spaces for putting more objects in. A dresser, a table with a huge mirror in front of it. A remote control, an object which does nothing but beep._

The ex-demoness sighed. _This is going to be a long, lonely night._

**Pause.**

_…And I just have to get thirsty now._

She walked wearily to the door, and slid it open.

Revealing an Aoshima squatting where the crack in the panels would have been.

xxxxxx

_Keiichi-san looks very, very troubl-_

Belldandy paused in thought, before standing up quickly.

_What was that? I felt a distinct power spike._

"Keiichi-san, something approaches!"

The demon stood up with haste and switched into a defensive position. The goddess beside him followed suit.

_Bell-chan…_

_Keiichi-san…_

The pair invoked their battle gear, and prepared for a confrontation.

xxxxxxx

Urd, goddess of the past stretched out on her bed, and got up slowly. _Gah…I feel an energy release. Belldandy's? Keiichi's? I'd better go check._

The clock on her wall ticked away slowly.

_…Then again, I'll take a rest._

xxxxxx

Keiichi was just about to release a detection class aura again, before a dark shroud misted up his vision.

_"Guess who."_

**Wham.**

The demon was flung backwards, barreling through the walls of the temple. _What was that! Could it have be…Hild!_ He quickly got to his feet, murmuring his favorite spell under his breath. The materialization of that pearly blade just seemed to give him comfort. _Though…up against the likes of her, I don't know if I can rely just on this._

He crouched down, before vanishing from his position, reappearing at the top of the roof. _Bell-chan's gone. Not a good sign._ A second flash had him onto the temple's gates.

A sudden flicker put him on the alert.

Keiichi jumped straight up, still in semi-crouch position, as the tiles shattered beneath him. A quick kick against the lamppost allowed him to launch himself towards the ground. _She's fast._

A second blow impacted, and would have taken off his leg – if Keiichi had not dodged in time. The demon let his aura fly out once more. _I can't fight if I can't see…_

He swung his bladed arm sideways, intercepting what would have been a killing blow to his torso. He slashed forwards, ducking low and skimming the ground. Hild appeared briefly before him, a waggling tongue -taunting the demon for his inability. Keiichi was not very happy.

_"Thunderrthunderhearmycryreleaseyourshacklesandfly! Argent Tempest!"_

The spell rocketed off Keiichi's fingertips and impacted the ground, where a lightning-charged hurricane blossomed.

A sudden void showed the demon where his target was.

Keiichi lunged forward, his blade howling with a killer's intent.

_This ends now!_

xxxxxx

A certain demon-turned-housemaid was, at that same moment, mentally reading, and following, the steps of the Mara's Guide to handling Perverts book.

Step 1 – Grab the offender's neck.

Step 2 – Punch the parts of vulnerability.

Step 3 – While the fist is still at the area of unmentionables, ram the head downwards.

Step 4 – Allow time for fist to connect and pain to register.

Step 5 – While target is on the floor, writhing in pain, scream "Pervert".

Step 5 was proving to be too hard for her dignity. So Mara tried something new. Grabbing a broom and ramming far up Aoshima's butt was new.

Watching Aoshima shrieking like a schoolgirl and passing out was new, too.

xxxxxx

Keiichi swung the weapon downward, carving a whistling arc in mid-air.

A surge of energy showed the demon that he had merely hit a shield.

_But…how? It's wind, it should be able to pass through easily…_

"That's because you don't know how to use it right."

The Daimakaicho laughed, and, taking the chance when Keiichi was staring at her in shock, she raised her left hands over her right. A swift flurry of words, Yggdrasil-direct-programming code, left her mouth, and slight warping of reality began around her arm.

"I'll show you the true power of a weapon class spell."

The queen grinned at the demon, before closing her eyes.

_"Talon of Mephisto."_

Dark globes gathered around Hild, before concentrating in on her out-stretched arm. They lengthened slowly, a soft, menacing sound crackling out into the darkness. The matter shaped itself into a long, thin blade, which shimmered a dark light.

Hild opened her eyes, grinned once more, and lashing out at Keiichi.

xxxxxx

Belldandy, powers drained and in a crumpled heap, could do nothing but watch as Keiichi was stabbed through the chest.

xxxxxxx

The demon felt his wound smoke as the healing spell kicked in, frantically recovering his body. _Uncanny. That power…It's insane. _Keiichi pulled up a shield as the blade struck once more, and began to slide slowly into the barrier. Hild grinned a maliciously sweet grin and applied pressure, her left hand grasping her right. The blade sank down faster.

Keiichi Morisato paused, before ramming his own blade upwards, through the shield. _This HAS to hit._

Time paused as the Daimakaicho was impaled by a pearly white wind.

Then she grinned.

xxxxxxx

When Aoshima had stopped moving, Mara decided that poking him to check whether he was alive would be the next best step.

**Poke.**

_He's not stirring._

**Poke.**

_Is he dead?_

**Poke.**

"Ow."

_Damn. And I thought I had finally gotten lucky._

xxxxxx

Hild's form dissolved into a shadowy mist, before re-materializing a space away.

"I'll say that my regeneration method beats yours hands down."

_That technique's too strong. I'll have to finish her in one hit, if I want to win._

Crouching down, Keiichi sped up his own restorative processes. Earning a wink from the Daimakaicho, too.

"Join me, and I'll teach you personally. You'll be among the top demons possible."

The demon in question gave no reply, but merely flexed his fingers to enhance the blade's area.

_I've only a few chances. May this strike hit._

**Pause.**

Keiichi swung his weapon forwards, charging towards Hild. A sudden tap against the ground sent him rocketing up, repositioning himself for an aerial strike. _In 5…4…3…2…1… _He raised the sword in mid-air, and stabbed downward. The sound of dirt being up-heaved was the sign of a miss. _One chance gone. She knows I'm on the offensive._

'She' just stood at a side, leaning on her own weapon.

"I'll make you much stronger."

Keiichi lunged to his east, busting the wall where Hild had been.

"I'll make you far better."

A second flurry of strikes turned a pillar into a pile of fragments. Hild stood on the roof, and laughed silently to herself.

"I'll even get some of the prettiest demonesses to serve you."

Keiichi blushed a brilliant crimson hue, before firing off a bolt at his target.

"I'll help you improve that horrid aim, along with everything."

_She's. Taunting. Me. Must not get angry. Must not get angry._

Eying the figure on the branches didn't help much.

_Must not get angry. Must not get angry. Must not get angry._

Gritting his teeth, the demon lengthened his blade once more, and leapt skywards.

xxxxxx

_I'll kill him when he recovers, he'll suffer more that way._

A still, occasionally moaning body of Aoshima lay on the floor, with a not-very-concerned Mara standing over him. Poking him with her feet.

_This slob is going to sleep all day. All night._

Poking escalated into mauling with foot.

xxxxxx

The Queen of Hell smiled to herself as a breeze swished pass, slicing off the leaves near her. She leapt and swung herself over another branch, exposing more flesh than necessary - A soft **thunk** of somebody ramming into a tree proved her plan a success.

_He still has so many worldly weaknesses. It's a wonder he can survive._

Keiichi mopped his reddened face with his gloves, and turned round for another strike.

_I can do this. 24 tries down, and more to come._

He steadied his blade, and sped himself to Hild once more. _She's just there. An easy target. You can hit her._

The Daimakaicho merely swung her own sword in a leisurely fashion, parrying Keiichi's strike. A downward thrust swung the demon into the ground below. A few blasts from her free hand effectively crippled him for the battle.

Keiichi Morisato groaned, and got to his feet slowly. _That hurt. So much. I fear more to follow. _He fired up another regeneration spell.

_I can't win if I just strike blindly._

Calling his blade into existence once more, he stabbed the ground strategically, creating an array of symbols. _And she's not even trying to stop me._ Keiichi muttered the incantations, before looking up at Hild, who was faking wide-eyed curiosity and awe.

"Don't underestimate me."

He vanished into nothingness.

xxxxxx

Mara had by then decided that Aoshima was going to snore to death, and decided to go to sleep herself.

_I mean, who would bother to take care of such a guy? Not me._

She walked over her employer's face, and into her room.

xxxxxx

Hild grinned broadly, her eyes twinkling with the anticipation of bloodshed. _So he thinks he's that good, enough to take on the Queen? I'll show him. _She stood up, and watched the upheaval of earth, tiles and tree-roots heading in her direction. _Another full-forced, impractical move. So easy to read, Keii-kun._

She let herself twist off the branch, landing on the ground with a soft **thud**. _I'll just maim him here, to stop him from killing me. Or at least trying to._

Hild spun the sword to her back, and swung forward with absolute precision.

Brace yourself, Keiichi! 

Slicing right through the central dust cloud was not what she had expected to do. _He's not there? Then…?_

A blade stabbed through her chest from behind.

_What?_

Keiichi unleashed a flurry of stabs and slashes, running on pure willpower. _Just until she can't regenerate…Just until she can be defeated._

A sudden jerked alerted the demon of the fact that his weapon was stuck.

Hild, bloody, beaten-up, and gash-covered, turned a bleeding face towards Keiichi.

"An excellent try. You had me there. But still…"

The Daimakaicho dissolved once again, the mist surrounding her enemy.

**Pause.**

Rematerializing with her weapon at the demon's throat, Hild smiled.

"…Not good enough."

Keiichi felt his mind go blank.

xxxxxx

The goddess of the rose sat at her chair, tapping in command codes into the Yggdrasil.

_Abnormal power spikes of demonic traces are everywhere._

**Tap-tap-tap-tap-click-tap-tap-click-tap.**

_I wonder what's the problem. Demons shouldn't be appearing much…_

**Tap-tap-tap-click-tap.**

_…Or not at one place. I doubt one or two entities could have so immense powers._

**Tap-tap-click-tap-tap-tap-click-click-tap-click.**

_Unless it's really just a few demons. Which would mean…_

**Click-tap-tap-tap-**

**Pause.**

_This is not good at all._

Peorth got up quickly, and headed once again for His office.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I'm finally back. A huge workload prevented me from writing much. Xx

Anyway, I've to thank all those who've reviewed me and such, and for giving me motivation. The next chapter, I can't assure the time, but it'll be soon, I hope. Thanks for reading!


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